Now fluttering: The Indian Tricolour on the moon

India is officially on the moon. After a couple of tense moments, the Lunar Impact Probe which was launched by the Chandrayaan planted the Tricolour on the moon at 8.31pm.

India thus becomes the fourth nation after the US, Japan [Images] and Russia [Images] to have successfully planted their flags on the moon.

At 8.06, the Moon [Images] Impact Probe was released from the Chandrayaan and successfully landed on the moon. The idea to plant the Tricolour on the moon was the brain child of former President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. That, he said, was a way of telling the entire world that India has reached the moon.

The impact probe which was successfully launched will now beam images of its journey. The Moon Impact Probe carries along with it a visual imaging system, mass sectra meter and a radar alti meter.

While the visual imaging system will take images of the surface of the moon, the mass sectra meter will determine the mineral composition of the moon.

The radar alti meter will determine the altitude of the Chandrayaan. ISRO officials say that it would with the visual imaging system ISRO is trying to create the world's best 3D image of the lunar surface.

Apart from this the impact probe will also give details about the mineral and chemical composition of the moon apart from finding out whether there is water on the moon.

"We have reached the moon. It is a remarkable achievement. The MIP impacted the moon at the designated spot," said Madhavan Nair, chairman of ISRO.